The Great Controversy (Revised)

Thus far every specification of the prophecies is strikingly fulfilled, and the beginning
of the seventy weeks is fixed beyond question at 457 B.C., and their expiration in A.D. 34.
From this data there is no difficulty in finding the termination of the 2300 days. The seventy
weeks--490 days-having been cut off from the 2300, there were 1810 days remaining. After
the end of 490 days, the 1810 days were still to be fulfilled. From A.D. 34, 1810 years extend
to 1844. Consequently the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 terminate in 1844. At the expiration of
this great prophetic period, upon the testimony of the angel of God, "the sanctuary shall be
cleansed." Thus the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary--which was almost universally
believed to take place at the second advent--was definitely pointed out.
Miller and his associates at first believed that the 2300 days would terminate in the
spring of 1844, whereas the prophecy points to the autumn of that year. (See Appendix.) The
misapprehension of this point brought disappointment and perplexity to those who had fixed
upon the earlier date as the time of the Lord's coming. But this did not in the least affect the
strength of the argument showing that the 2300 days terminated in the year 1844, and that the
great event represented by the cleansing of the sanctuary must then take place.
Entering upon the study of the Scriptures as he had done, in order to prove that they
were a revelation from God, Miller had not, at the outset, the slightest expectation of reaching
the conclusion at which he had now arrived. He himself could hardly credit the results of his
investigation. But the Scripture evidence was too clear and forcible to be set aside. He had
devoted two years to the study of the Bible, when, in 1818, he reached the solemn conviction
that in about twenty-five years Christ would appear for the redemption of His people. "I need
not speak," says Miller, "of the joy that filled my heart in view of the delightful prospect, nor
of the ardent longings of my soul for a participation in the joys of the redeemed. The Bible
was now to me a new book. It was indeed a feast of reason; all that was dark, mystical, or
obscure to me in its teachings, had been dissipated from my mind before the clear light that
now dawned from its sacred pages; and, oh, how bright and glorious the truth appeared! All
the contradictions and inconsistencies I had before found in the word were gone; and although
there were many portions of which I was not satisfied I had a full understanding, yet so much
light had emanated from it to the illumination of my before darkened mind, that I felt a delight
in studying the Scripture which I had not before supposed could be derived from its
teachings."--Bliss, pages 76, 77.
"With the solemn conviction that such momentous events were predicted in the
Scriptures to be fulfilled in so short a space of time, the question came home to me with mighty
power regarding my duty to the world, in view of the evidence that had affected my own
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